A gang of ruthless robbers who held a knife to a four-year-old girl’s throat as they assaulted her and her seven-year-old brother during a violent burglary have been jailed today.

The men, from Hackney, Stratford and Grays wore masks and gloves and carried firearms and knives during the break-in at an address in Horndon-on-the-Hill, Essex, in September 2017.

Mark Bonsu, 25, of Doran Walk, Stratford, was jailed for 18 years, Ayomide Ijelu, 23, and Wesley Williams, 32, both of Lindisfarne Way, Homerton, were sentenced to 28 years and 18 years respectively and Jeremiah Johnson, 27, of Curzon Drive, Grays, was sentenced to 25 in jail.

All were all convicted of robbery and possession of a firearm with intent.

Salih Bulbuller, 22, of Homerton Road, admitted aggravated burglary, robbery and possession of a firearm and was jailed for 18 and a half years

Three of them - Ijelu, Johnson and Bulbuller - were part of a gang of five who had assaulted a man in his 70s during an aggravated burglary a week earlier on September 18.

Along with Emmanuel Ijelu, 27, Lindisfarne Way, Homerton, and Barry Douglas, 26, of Homerton Road, they tried to break into a bungalow in Tilbury, but were disturbed by a man who spotted them from the window of his caravan nearby.

Ijelu and Douglas were both jailed for 10 years.

Basildon Crown Court heard during the Hordon-on-the-Hill break-in the children were assaulted and a knife was held to the girl’s throat.

The gang also wrapped duct tape around a woman’s arms and across her mouth as she was assaulted while a man in his 30s was repeatedly hit round the head with a firearm and on his hands and legs with a hammer.

He was also burnt on his hands, arms, and shoulder with an iron.

The gang caused hundreds of pounds’ worth of damage, and stole cash, jewellery and electricals before driving their victims to a field and leaving them there.

The vehicle used was later found abandoned.

Calling them “dangerous and organised”, Essex Police’s Det Insp Steve Nelson said: “The defendants tried to convince the jury they weren’t responsible for these attacks and have shown no remorse at any stage.”